


Dreams of Roses

by ShiningStarling



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:47:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28710711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShiningStarling/pseuds/ShiningStarling
Summary: A fix-it fic for RWBY. I am not a particularly fast writer, but I am trying. Feedback appreciated, and if anyone has a particular need to beta, I would welcome it.My goal for this fic is to save what really worked about RWBY and flesh it out, expanding on the good while reducing the bad. Characters will be portrayed as honestly as I can, but that said, they may look different if I decide to focus on a particular aspect of their character that the show may have left by the wayside, some cases more extremely than others, plans and schemes y'all.RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and was created by Monty Oum, rest in peace.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Kudos: 2





	1. An Eventful Evening

**Author's Note:**

> It begins, with one of my favorite fights that I have endeavored to surround with better content.
> 
> The following is based on s1e1: Ruby Rose

_Stories, our most powerful tools, passed down through generations with care and purpose_

Life was born from Dust, and it was only through Dust that humanity was able to fend off that which threatened their extinction, the creatures of Grimm. With the power of Dust, force of creation in hand, they were able to carve out a place in this broken world, this Remnant of what once was. Many settlements survive, but four great Kingdoms thrive, and slowly, they seem to be pushing back the ever-encroaching darkness.

But even the most brilliant lights can flicker and fade, and if they go out, darkness will return.

_But perhaps it is in the simpler things wherein solace lies. As a candle can ignite the largest of fires, perhaps salvation lies in a more honest, gentle soul_

* * *

Late nights in the kingdom of Vale were not typically as dangerous as even broad daylight in Vacuo, or the obscured day of the crater of Mantle. However, the men walking down the alley towards a small-time Dust shop seemed dangerous enough anyhow. The pleasant bell upon entering did nothing to lighten the mood as the bowler-hatted ringleader shushed the shop owner, and instructed his posse to get all the dust they could carry.

These men were not the quietest, and soon alerted the store’s only other patron to their presence. Luckily, Miss Ruby Rose was of the sort to not let her guard down. She lowered her headphones and ducked behind the shelves to avoid the gaze of the goon who’d decided to check the rest of the store. She was under no illusions that such a hiding spot would last long. She took a quick survey of her surroundings.

A robbery? And she was the only other person here?

Not exactly ideal, but just like something out of her favorite stories. She liked it.

She quietly took a deep breath, and put herself in a combat mindset. First thing first, the shopkeep was a non-combatant in danger, but these guys were visibly armed, and their leader was standing right by the counter, she could see no way to get him out without drawing attention, so she would have to draw attention herself, then get the goons out of the shop if possible.

Should be doable. She put her headphones back on, not tightly though, and pulled a magazine from the rack, her favorite of course, why not? She faced the back wall and kept her ears alert, they should check again riiiiiiiiiiight… 

**“Hey, kid, put your hands where I can see them!”** She ignored him, she needed him to be closer, and she would hear if his weapon got too close. He approached, **“Hey, I said hands in the air, you got a death wish or something?”** She turned around, taking him in. He motioned for her to lower her headphones, which she did. **“Yes?”**

**“I said put your hands in the air!”** He pointed his sword at her, and she took the invitation.

A moment later, she had disarmed him, and performed a throw her school instructors could be proud of, sending him flying out the shop’s window. She ran and leapt out the window, giving the thrown man a dropkick on the way out for good measure. As the other robbers came out to see what had caused the commotion, she drew her weapon. The rifle unfolded itself many times over, retaining its basic function, but overall became a scythe larger than its wielder. She smirked at her foes, and gave it a twirl before slamming it into the ground with enough force to crack the pavement. She turned off her music for good measure.

**“Okayyyy…”** The leader seemed rather savvy and calculating, which was undercut by the simplicity of his next command, **“Get her.”**

The goons ran at her all at once. She didn’t even remove her weapon from the ground at first, she used it as a pommel horse, and proceeded to beat two of the four armed men into submission, a blur of motion as she delivered blow after blow. She then wrenched the scythe out of the ground and fired, lodging the butt of the weapon in one of the attackers, and felling the last with a flourish and the blunt side of the cutting edge.

**“Well you were worth every cent, truly you were…”** The leader proclaimed, dropping his cigar on the ground and crushing it with the end of his cane. Ruby would have attacked him, but something about his stance gave Ruby the impression he was more dangerous than all of his goons combined. 

Approaching police sirens began to sound. **“Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around…”** He raised his cane and the bottom opened to reveal a rifle with a cross grid **“...I'm afraid this is where we part ways.”** He said as he shot an explosive round at Ruby’s feet. She hopped up and shot down, using her rifle’s recoil to avoid most of the blast. She landed, and quickly shuffled out of the small crater and cloud of grit kicked up by the blast. She looked around, but her attacker was quick, he was already halfway up a ladder on a nearby building.

She looked to the shopkeep, who had just come outside now that his storefront was clear of hostiles, **“You okay if I go after him?”** He grunted his assent, and she activated her semblance, whirling through the air and landing on the roof as he was only about halfway across it.

**“Hey!”** She shouted after him, at which he slowed to a stop, **“Persistent…”** He turned to her as a loud whirring sound descended upon the building behind him. He hopped into the ship hovering just behind him and fished out a red Dust crystal from his coat. **“End of the line, Red!”** He exclaimed, tossing the crystal at her and shooting it midair.

He began to cheer his victory before the cloud created by the explosion cleared to reveal a purple glyph hovering in midair. The woman behind it was holding a wand of sorts, and swiftly lowered the circle, sending a volley of purple energy at the vehicle.

Inside the vehicle, the criminal Roman Torchwick went in a hurry to the cockpit to inform the pilot of the developments, **“We’ve got a Huntress!”** He told her before relieving her position as pilot to let that deeply creepy woman go do her thing.

In the meantime, the huntress Glynda summoned a storm over the ship, and with a swift downward thrust a volley of oversized hail began pelting the craft. Ruby had joined in as well, transforming her scythe back down to a rifle and taking shots at the craft’s propulsion, though she was unsure how effective that might be.

It was then that a fiery woman took her place in the entrance and began glowing, firing off volley after volley of fire and brimstone. Most of it Glynda blocked with her glyphs, but some hit the roof of the building. Glynda gathered the debris with her wand to launch a volley at the craft, and did so until the fiery woman emit a shrieking sound and the pieces fell to the ground, and began to shriek as well. Glynda telekinetically forced herself and Ruby out of the blast range, but unfortunately, the ship got away in that time.

Glynda waved her wand to mend the building, the rubble snapping back into place perfectly. **“You’re a Huntress!?”** Ruby directed at Glynda. **“Can I have your autograph!?”**

* * *

The proceeding car ride with Glynda Goodwitch had the ever-unpleasant silence of tension, but was mercifully short. A building Ruby recognized as the Vale Department of Education turned out to be their destination. Glynda continued to say nothing as she ushered the teen out of the car and into the building, which had very few lights on. Ruby was shown into a small office, in which waited a man who looked neither old nor young, neither short nor tall, but who most certainly had an aura of wisdom and power. She recognized him instantly, but before she could say anything to him, Glynda shut the door behind her and went on a tirade.

The Assistant Headmaster had quite a few things to say about responsibility, endangerment, and civility, but in the end seemed to think Ruby was… fine? An odd conclusion to be sure, but when she stopped talking (after an unsettling crack of her wand, which Ruby now saw was also a riding crop) the man behind the desk reached out to her and handed her a cookie. She took it eagerly, having worked up quite the appetite in her fight.

**“You know who I am.”** He said it with certainty. Ruby nodded, **“You’re Professor Ozpin, you run the Beacon school.”** He smiled, **“A pleasure to meet you, young lady.”** Ruby spoke through a bite of cookie, **“Preasure ish mine.”** Ozpin looked down at his scroll, **“Now miss Rose, your school records are quite impressive…”**

The man looked at her with a piercing gaze, looking straight into her eyes, **“You… would you like to attend my school?”** She wiped a stray crumb from her face, **“Yes! So much! I’m gonna apply as soon as I’m finished at Signal.”** Ozpin’s smile grew warmer, **“Well, I don’t know about Glynda, but from where I’m sitting, you took on an entire group of criminals, saving an innocent man in the process, making minimal but skillful use of a weapon known for its difficulty of use and deadly effectiveness, and as I do not recognize the make, I would guess you made it yourself.”** He looked to her for a nod before continuing. **“Tell me, Do you have any other teachers, perhaps someone specialized in scythe use?”** She nodded assent once more, **“Yeah, my Uncle Qrow, he’s a hunter too!”**

Ozpin put the last pieces together, **“Yes, He and I make regular contact, and he’s been praising a private student of his for some time now, so it would seem you have a recommendation as well. Tell me, would you like early admission? As you know, term is about to start an-”**

Ruby cut him off swiftly in her excitement, **“Yes, yes, yes, oh pleeeeeease yes!”**

* * *

**“No, no, no, oh please nooooooo.”** Ruby whined as her sister Yang held her in a crushing hug as they took the hovering shuttle to Beacon. **“But I’m just so proud of my lil baby sis!”** the blonde exclaimed with a giggle, finally releasing her. **“No one ever gets early admission here, you’re gonna be the bee’s knees!”** **  
**  
****

**“I don’t wanna be the bee’s knees!”** Ruby let out quickly. **“I just wanna be a normal girl, with normal knees.”** Yang looked at her sister with empathy, but the mischievous grin remained. **“Sis, I don’t know if you know this, but you stopped a robbery, your story is on the news!”** She motioned to a holoscreen mounted on the bulkhead, where Lisa Lavender was relating the story even now, as images of Ruby and Glynda in action shots flashed by. **“I don’t even know how they got half those pictures…”** Ruby grumbled lightly.

As the news turned to Faunus protests, Yang took her sister under her arm, but more gently this time, **“I know you aren’t the most social, Ruby, but look at it this way: Anyone who likes what happened will be an easy friend, anyone who doesn’t you can write off, and anyone who doesn’t know is oblivious, and therefore easy pickings!”** Ruby was with her til that last part, at which she shoved the larger girl away with a grin, and Yang knew she had done her job well.

The rest of the ride was peaceful at least. Glynda came on the screens at one point with some basic orientation fodder, and some boy who looked like he might have fallen into the last of Yang’s categories only barely avoided vomiting on the half-sisters, but all in all, things were looking good for the future.


	2. An Unfamiliar Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which some stuff happens. Good stuff, hints, etc.
> 
> The following are based on s1e2+3, the Shining Beacon

Wow, that Vomit Boy really should not have eaten so much… or brought some medicine or something.

Ruby and Yang exited the ship nearly last, being near the back to start with, just in time to see the poor boy running for a trash can again. Luckily, there were much more pleasant things to draw the eye. **“The view from Signal’s got nothing on this!”** She proclaimed before noticing that Ruby was not next to her, and was instead eagerly observing students getting off another transport. Yang thought it was odd until she noticed where her eyes were directed. **“Ohmygosh, that kid’s got a two-sided telescoping staff! Ooooh and she’s got a fire sword!”** Yang grabbed her hood and held her back from advancing even closer on the other bunch of new students,  **“C’mon sis, you can drool over plenty of weapons in the workshop, or your magazines.”**

Ruby turned with an almost offended look on her face,  **“But… but they’re an ext-”** Yang held up a warning finger, **“If you say ‘extension of ourselves’ I will smack you, and also, that is not what I meant, or what Dad meant when we said you should meet people.”** Ruby looked put out. Yang went for the softer touch now,  **“Besides, you know as well as I it's not the weapon, it's how you use it.”** Ruby sighed, **“Yeah yeah, I know. It’s just… they’re so cool, Yang!”** The blonde nodded, **“Yeah, so go make friends with their holders.”**

Ruby looked suspicious,  **“Why did you say that like you’re abandoning me?”**

Yang rubbed her hair,  **“Well…”** She motioned behind her where a group of people Ruby recognized from some of Yang’s parties, and Ruby really did look offended now, **“Yang Xiao Long, I know my caring, loving sister would not leave me alone in an unfamiliar place.”** She stated matter-of-factly, hands on hips and everything.

It was Yang’s turn to feel unsettled, but she thought she had a way out,  **“I dunno sis, if you’re around, I might just be too overcome with pride to stop myself bragging about your heroic exploits…”** She put her hand to her chest to show it swelling with pride, and Ruby let out a defeated groan,  **“Fiiiiiiiiine, but i-”**

It was then that Ruby gracefully turned and walked straight into a luggage carrier. Having turned her head over her shoulder to continue verbally sparring with her sister, she never saw it coming. Loud crashes ensued. As Ruby made to pick herself up, she grabbed a case, and someone said,  **“What are you doing!?”**

Ruby looked up from her kneeling position to see a very angry white-haired girl looking down on her.  **“I’m sorry, I was jus-”**

**“Sorry!? Do you have any idea what sort of damage you could have caused!? Give me that!”** At that the girl wrenched the case Ruby had grabbed for support from her hands, sending the small girl sprawling once more. She started to open the case when Yang intervened. The blonde had been meaning to aid in the cleanup, but this was too much. **“Hey, she just fell, chill out Snow Queen.”** Yang leant over to pick up a case, considering the matter resolved, but the other girl clearly did not see it that way.  **“Excuse me? And who are you? This girl just knocked over a dozen cases of Dust, pure and freshly refined from the Schnee facilities!”** She opened the case she took to show several gems and vials of Dust.  **“This could have been a catastrophe, what do you have to say for yourself, huh?”** She shouted, turning again to Ruby,  **“Aren’t you a little young to be here anyway!?”**   
  
**“Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!”** Ruby said with an edge of anger before yet another player approached. **“Heiress, actually.”** A dark girl from hair and bow to shoes said,  **“Weiss Schnee, next in line for the Schnee Dust Company, largest producer of Dust in the world.”** The pale girl smiled for the first time in the interaction,  **“Finally, someone who shows some respect.”** The dark girl’s level expression turned sour, **“The same Schnee Dust Company under scrutiny for violating contract on mining locations, and accused of something along the lines of indentured servitude, especially in Faunus communities.”**

Weiss stammered in indignity,  **“Wha- How dare- the nerve of… ugh!”** She cried out before stomping off, leaving her possessions behind in the way only someone used to having hired help could.

**“Hey, thanks for-”** Ruby began before turning to find that the dark girl was gone as well. She sighed, turning to Yang,  **“Thanks for stepping in… that was embarrassing, huh?”** Ruby said, rubbing where she’d impacted the ground. Yang put a hand on her shoulder, smiled, and looked up, giving a signal to some unseen person from Ruby’s perspective, **“You take care, sis.”** Yang left, giving Ruby a thumbs up.

**“Wha- bu-... aw man…”** Ruby looked down, dejected.

**“Looks like I’m not the only one having a rough first day.”** A voice came from behind Ruby. She looked to see a hand being offered to help her up, which she took.  **“I’m Jaune, nice to meet you.”**

**“Ruby, thanks…”** She giggled,  **“Aren’t you the one that threw up on the ship?”**

A few minutes of walking later, and Ruby was feeling much more comfortable, if only in that she wasn’t the only awkward person here.  **“All I’m saying is that motion sickness is a more common issue than most people let on!”** Jaune insisted. Ruby responded lightly,  **“I’m sorry! It was just the first thing that came to mind, honest.”** An awkward silence followed. Ruby filled it in her favorite way.  **“Soooooo I’ve got this.”** She drew Crescent rose, growing it to full scythe form in two swirls before slamming the point into the ground.  **“Woah, is that a scythe!?”** Jaune looked incredulous.  **“Yep.”** She chambered a round, **“It’s also a High Impact Rifle.”** Jaune’s look changed to one of envy, **“That’s so cool!”**

Ruby happily ran her hand along the barrel for a moment before asking the obvious next question,  **“Whatchu got?”** Jaune fumbled with his belt for a moment,  **“Oh, uh, I got this sword!”** He exclaimed after managing to position the sheathe correctly for drawing, getting an approving ‘oooohh’ from Ruby. **“Oh, and the sheathe’s a shield!”** It took a notable amount more fumbling to get the shield off the belt, but once it was it unfolded neatly and he strapped it to his arm

Ruby beamed, **“Any other functions?”** Jaune looked at his weapon nervously,  **“Well, it's a lot less bulky than carrying a shield separately… but no, nothing cool like yours.”** Ruby laughed lightly, **“Yeah, I guess I did kinda go overboard designing it.”** A look of surprise took the boy’s face now,  **“Wait, you made that!?”**

Ruby looked back quizzically,  **“Of course, all students at Signal were required to make their own weapons, didn’t you make yours?”** Jaune looked somehow even more nervous, maybe even a bit nauseous,  **“No… it’s a hand-me-down. My Great Grandfather fought with it in the war.”** Ruby kept a cheerful face,  **“Well, I like it! It’s a classic, though, really, you should make your own if you get the chance, it’s an amazing feeling, like it’s a part of you.”** Jaune considered, but still looked more on the sick side.

**“Hey, why’d you help me out back there?”** Ruby asked, continuing their walking after stowing her weapon once more.  **“Well, my moms always say, ‘Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet,’ so… well, you seemed nice anyway.”** Ruby smiled, but looked around a moment,  **“Hey, where are we going?”** Jaune looked at her confused,  **“I was following you.”**

* * *

**“Rubes!”** Yang called across the crowded auditorium, signalling her sister over to a clear spot in the crowd. Ruby considered being petty for a moment, but instead turned to Jaune and motioned for him to follow. Might as well keep all her friends together for the moment, the reasoned. All two of them.  **“How’s your first day so far, lil sis?”** Yang inquired, pulling her into a noogie. Ruby pushed away,  **“Oh, you mean since you ditched me!?”** She said, putting on an offended face. Yang smiled,  **“Aw c’mon, I made sure you had company first! Besides the screaming girl anyway.”**

**“You!”** An all too familiar voice projected as its owner approached the group.  **“Gah!”** A surprised Ruby let out as she turned to see the pale heiress approaching, anger emphasizing the scar on her face.  **“It really was an accident, I promise!”** Weiss came to a quick stop in front of her and presented a pamphlet. Anger left her face slowly as she quickly emitted a string of babble that sounded like the end of a commercial. Ruby was quick, but she had no hope of keeping up with that, getting only a,  **“Huh?”** out in response.

  
  
**“You want to make it up to me?”** Weiss asked, almost nicely. Ruby nodded.  **“Don’t talk to me again until you’ve read this all the way through.”** Weiss then shoved the pamphlet into Ruby’s hands and quickly turned and left.  **“Wow, Snow queen for sure.”** Yang jibed. Ruby smiled softly,  **“I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”** She assured, before going to unfold the thing and finding it folded in half no less than 16 times. Yang choked back a laugh as Ruby let out a dejected sigh, Jaune remaining suspiciously silent with a dopey grin on his face.

The group was brought out of their own issues by a sound from the stage,  **“I’ll keep this brief.”** Professor Ozpin had begun his opening address, and even the most rambunctious of new students knew his reputation well enough to quiet and listen.

He spoke,  **“You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and I see wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. Knowledge will not give you any of this. What will is the bonds you form with your friends, teachers, and team during your time here. It is up to you to take these steps.”**

Ozpin stepped away from the microphone, for Glynda to take his place, informing the audience,  **“You will rest in the ballroom tonight, and tomorrow your initiation will begin. Reminders for those who may have skimmed the entrance materials, be sure to have all equipment you will need, memorize your lockers, and be sure to have your landing strategy prepared.”**

The teens looked at each other with quizzical looks on their faces,  **“Did Ozpin seem… distant to you?”** Yang posited first, and Ruby couldn’t help but agree,  **“Yeah, it was almost like he was reading lines, barely even here…”** It didn’t seem right to them, but neither of them knew him well enough to know anything for sure.  **“Um, I’m sure that’s a problem and all but uh… what’d she mean by ‘landing strategy’?”** That last was from Jaune, which distracted the girls enough to drop the Ozpin issue for the time being.

**“Well, I guess a giant slumber party is as good a way as any to get us more comfortable with each other,”** Yang ventured, walking through the room with Ruby, trying to find a spot to lay out. Ruby watched as her sister shamelessly let her eyes wander to their fellow students,  **“Are you gonna make Glynda ban you from slumber parties as fast as Dad had to?”** Yang put on a face of mock offense,  **“It’s hardly my fault that training for this school keeps people in such good shape!”**

A minute later and their sleeping bags were down, and Yang was busying herself looking at various good-looking specimens. A glance to see if Ruby was going to call her on it again revealed Ruby to be working over her scroll,  **“Whatcha doin’?”** Ruby looked up,  **“Writing to my friends back at Signal…”** Yang saw a prime sibling mocking opportunity,  **“Awww, how cuuuute!”** Ruby punched her shoulder softly,  **“Shut up, I didn’t get to take my friends to school with me! It’s weird having so few people here I know…”**

Yang cast about, it was only proper sibling mockery if you helped by the end,  **“Well, you got Jaune now, and if you do your homework maybe that Weiss girl too…”** Her eyes caught on a candlelit reader,  **“And hey, that girl who told her off is right over there, maybe before everyone’s sleeping we should go say hi!”** Yang said as if it were a suggestion, whilst getting up and beginning to drag her habitually antisocial sister to a potential friend. Ruby was sure Yang had ulterior motivations, but made do with muffled noises of protest before following.

Ruby was proved correct by Yang’s botched attempt at an introduction, which brought only slight recognition and irritation from the dark girl. Ruby tried to cut off Yang’s obviousness with easy talk,  **“Whatcha reading?”** The dark girl turned her attention and visibly calmed,  **“It’s about a person with two souls, each fighting for control over their body.”** Ruby nodded thoughtfully,  **“Sounds interesting! Bit more high concept than what I’m used to…”** The other smirked,  **“Used to ‘happily ever after’?”** Ruby chuckled nervously,  **“A bit… what can I say, without classic hero stories I wouldn’t be here! They’re pretty good at inspiring things in me. Protecting those who can’t, fighting for what’s right…”** The other nodded understanding as Ruby trailed off, a smile creeping onto her face,  **“There are worse inspirations. I’m Blake, by the way, you are…?”**

After a few introductions, a little bit of sibling argument, and a shout from someone sounding suspiciously like Weiss to keep it down, sleep settled over the hall of fresh recruits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Jaune's got a bit more going on, Weiss has some more coming down the pipeline I guarantee. Curious if anyone can guess where I'm going with Jaune... probably too subtle at the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo yeah, hope y'all enjoyed. Gonna post Ch. 2 basically right away. Not too many changes yet, but seeds being planted I assure you.


End file.
